s2kdriver80

I installed Rick's 7/8 windscreen 2 years ago and I've ordered another one since there are cracks in it and makes a horrible and annoying rattling noise (either when up or down) when I'm driving in the car with the top up. It was relatively easy to pry apart the plastic pieces the first time since the stock screen was held together with "pliable" glue. Has anyone tried to take apart the plastic pieces for a re-do after installing Rick's screen the first time with superglue/Goop/accelerant? Is it difficult to pry apart and remove all of dried glue bits? Should I just order new plastic pieces? If anyone has tried a re-do of Rick's windscreen, please let me know how it went. Thanks.

ebeldesign

Mine was vibrating pretty badly within the frame when I first did it. So, I pried it apart to apply more goop, basically spread it everywhere. When I pried it apart, the sides where I applied superglue were the hardest to pop loose, after that, it seemed to go a TON easier than the original separation. Then again, it had only been a week since I first glued it back together. After as long as you have had it together, I dont know. But, I believe that Goop never hardens all the way, it stays fairly elastic and soft, and should peel pretty easily out of the frame.

Good luck!

SC_Highlander

Mine came apart the 2nd time with no problem after about 1.5 years.

s2kdriver80

I managed to pry apart the pieces - that was the easy part. It took me all night to get all the super glue and goop out. The goop was bonded to the plastic pretty darn well. Now, gotta put in the new screen.

I was reading Rick's instructions in the email he sent out after the order and he writes this .....

"The integrity of the joints in the ears of the mechanism is critical to the prevention of vibration and the durability of the mechanism. As an extra precaution we strongly advice that you use superglue on these joints. You will notice small ridges along the inside of the ear area of the two dark gray plastic mechanism pieces. As a last step before final assembly, use a toothpick or very small screwdriver to place a small amount of glue all along these ridges on the top three inches of the ears. Be careful not to get the glue on the screen itself because it is nearly impossible to remove without damaging the screen surface. As suggested in the enclosed instructions , you may also want to use Goop on the other joints. This will provide an extra strong bond. Then assemble the mechanism. Clean off immediately any glue that oozes out of the joints."

Can someone explain what he means here? What exactly are the joints? Thanks.

dolebludger

Were I to install one of these, I think I'd use "Marine Goop" exclusively for the job. Unlike super glue, marine goop remains flexible virtually forever. And if you accidently get some super glue on the clear plastic (or anything else) it will etch the surface and make a mess that can't be removed. Marine goop, on the other hand, won't etch plastic or painted surfaces, and "accidents" can be removed fairly easily with a rag or Q tip and a little paint thinner. Because marine goop is "forgiving" in this regard, I'd make sure to secure all surfaces of the plastic within the clip with it. Also, I' use a brand new, unopened tube of marine goop, as it tends to get harder and less spreadable with time after the tube has been opened. Because of the nature of marine goop, I can't see how an attachment like I describe here could ever rattle.

Thanks,
Richard

s2kdriver80

Thanks for the tip, though I'm very careful and neat when assembling things like these so it really isn't a problem for me.

The question I have though, regarding my post 2 posts up is, what are these ridges they talk about it? Do they mean you have to apply glue along the inner ears and where they and the screen touch, as to eliminate any play in movement? That's what I did last time - after I put it all together, I applied glue along the inner ear and where the screen meet, but I don't know if this is what I'm supposed to do. The fact that the screen had glue on it might have been the reason for the screeching noise, but then I'm worried the screen might have some play inside the assembly as the screen is ever so slightly thinner than what the plastic pieces allow in between. Anybody else?

Emil St-Hilaire

Used "marine goop"same as Richard;no play,and no vibrations.

s2kdriver80

I guess the marine goop route doesn't seem so bad after all. The only thing I'm worried about is that with the taller 7/8 screen, I would always lower and raise the screen grabbing from the top of the screen (more torque than how you would raise/lower with a shorter screen - forgive my high school physics lol). I'm worried that the resulting leverage force from lowering/raising many times would sort of loosen and pry the plastic seems apart over time, with just the flexible goop, whereas there is no play with super glue, it either sticks or it doesn't. Is my assessment incorrect? Thanks.

dolebludger

My experience with marine goop in other applications is that it has a very great amount of flex before it "lets go". And it stays that way over the years. Personally, I find that superglue binds only where there is virtually no gap between surfaces, as it is a very thin liquid with no "filler" qualities. On your last install, the superglue probably took in some spots and not in others, causing your rattles. I also find that superglue loses some of its grip over the years. IMO, the mere act of flipping upand down the windscreen would never cause marine goop to lose its grip.

Thanks,
Richard

s2kdriver80

I'll give it a try with the Goop. If I go this route, I would have no need for superglue and the accelerator, right? Would using the accelerator help cure the Goop better? It's probably only made to work with superglue but I thought I'd ask in case. Thanks.